Conventional detergents used in warewashing include alkaline detergents. Alkaline detergents, particularly those intended for institutional use, can affect the appearance of metals, particularly soft metals such as aluminum. For example, alkaline detergents can create blackening or corrosion on aluminum pans. Conventionally, alkaline detergents have contained phosphates to reduce corrosion. However, increased regulation of the use of phosphorus in detergents, as well as an ever increasing trend towards safer and sustainable detergent compositions, has created a need to identify alternative anti-corrosion compositions. This has led to the development of alternative complexing agents, builders, threshold agents, corrosion inhibitors, and the like, which are used instead of predominantly phosphorus containing compounds. Phosphates can bind calcium and magnesium ions, provide alkalinity, act as threshold agents, and protect alkaline sensitive metals such as aluminum and aluminum containing alloys.
Other corrosion inhibitors include silicates, such as, sodium silicate. Sodium silicate has a tendency to begin precipitating from aqueous solution at a pH below 11, thus reducing its effectiveness to prevent corrosion of the contacted surfaces when used in cleaning solutions having a lower pH. Additionally, when allowed to dry on a surface silicates form films and/or spots which are visible and they are very difficult to remove. The presence of these silicon containing deposits can affect the texture, appearance and on cooking or storage surfaces the taste of the materials that come into contact with the cleaned surfaces.
It is an object of the invention to address at least one of the above problems and/or to offer detergent compositions with usage and/or environmental benefits.
Accordingly it is an object herein to provide an improved warewashing and other hard surface cleaning composition for the removal of stains without causing abrasion or other damage to aluminum or aluminum alloy metals.
It is another object of the invention to provide a method and process for employing the warewashing and other hard surface cleaning compositions.
Other objects, aspects and advantages of this invention will be apparent to one skilled in the art in view of the following disclosure, the drawings, and the appended claims.